Thiruvananthapuram: The Kollam additional district court awarded seven accused in the Renjith murder case life imprisonment on Tuesday. The court also imposed a penalty of Rs 2 lakh each on the accused and ordered not to grant parole to the convicts for the first 25 years of their term in prison. The case is said to be the fastest one investigated by the Kerala Police and prosecuted in the state's history.

The convicted are identified as Manoj of Eravipuram, Renjith of Nedungolam, Baiju of Panattuchira, Poothakulam, Pranav of Konathukavu, Decent Junction, Vishnu of Decent Junction, Vinesh of Pavithra Nagar, Kilikoloor, and Riyas of Vadakkevila. They were sentenced under IPC sections 120B, 341, 364, 201, 302 and 34.

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Renjith Johnson was murdered on August 15, 2018, at Polachira, Chathannoor, and the body was buried at a waste dumping site at Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu. The gang planned the murder after Renjith started living with Manoj's wife nine years back. 

The gang reached the house of Renjith Johnson and took him out in a rented car from his pet shop at Peroor and beat him to death.   

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The main evidence of the case was Renjith's T-shirt. The T-shirt used by Renjith was abandoned along the wayside by the convicts which was later recovered by the police. 

Meanwhile, the court has acquitted Ajimsha, who is the eighth accused in the case. The convicted have filed an appeal against their conviction in the high court. 

Renjith's parents as well as the families of the convicts were in the court when the verdict was read out.

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